Solar-heat motor.



E. H. MCHENRY.

SOLAR HEAT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1909.

984,585e Patented 11611.21, 1911.

371110,11 tor attentat A es4,5s5.

UNITED STATES' PATENT UFFICE.

EDWIN H. MGHENRY, 0F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

SOLAR-HEAT Moron.

Specification of Letters' Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, v191.1.

Application led'May 17, 1909. Serial No. 496,599.

To all whom 'it may concern: y

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. MCI-Inner, a citizen' of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven, State ofConnecticut,have invented certainI new and useful Improvements in Solar-Heat y Motors, of which the following is a descripi a motor whereinair is used for the absorption and transfer' 'of solar and atmosphericheat to the boiler in a condensing engine cycle. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter with means for superheating the `air by exposure to solarradiation.

A further object vof the invention is to A provide a device of the abovecharacter with means for supplying the air with water vapor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a solar motor with acondenser,

wherein an air blast is used in connection with an absorbent surfacesupplied with water.

. These and other objects will in part be` obvious, and will in partbehereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings which vshow to a large extent diagrammatically oneembodiment of my invention,-'Figure lis a horizontal sectionalrviewthrough the essential parts of Vmy motor; Fig. 2 is a sectional viewthrough the heat collector and intensilier; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionthrough thecondenser; and

` Fig. 4 is an enlarged View, showing the absorbent material denser.

`vIn carrying out my invention, 'a vaporizer on the pipes of the conorboiler 1 1s provided, and the steam or vaporj generated therein is ledtov an engine 2. The engine 2"may be of an desired condensing type,although I pre er to use the turbine type.- vThe exhaust from theengine` is led to a condenser 3, and the condensed vapors are fed bymeans of a pump 4 backl to the boiler 1. This, of course, 'is the usualcondensing engine cycle.

The vaporiz'er or boller 1 consists, as herem shown, of an outer casing5, 1n which are located water tubes `t3. These water tubes 6 arepreferably provided with uted flanges to'increase the surface of contactwith the heating medium. A feed pipe Z leads to the engine 2, and areturn pipe 8 extends from the pump to the boiler. The casing 5 for theboiler is open at the end 9, and at its other end is connected with apipe 10. At the inner end of the casing 5 is a fan 11, which may beoperated in any suitable way. The fan 11 is so constructed 'as to forcethe heating medium through the tubular boiler or vaporizer, and causethe liquid contained in the vaporizer to be heated.

In order to heat the liquid in the boiler, I may force air therethrough,which is at normal atmospheric temperature, but I prefer to providemeans for preheating the air before it is fed tothe boiler or vaporizer.As herein shown, I have provided a heat collector or intensifier 12,which is substantially rectangular in form and atits bottom has anysuitable non-conducting lining 13, while said collector has a glasscovering 14. In place of the glass covering 14 I may, if desired, use ametal covering.

The collector is divided centrally by means of partitions 15, and withspaced projecting cross partitions 16, which overlap, so as to provide apassage leading back and forth through the collector for the air. Theair is led to the heat collector by means of a suitable opening 17, andis conveyed from the heat collector to the pipe 10. It will be evidentthat as the heat collector or intensifier is exposed to the solar heat,the air passing in through the opening 17 by reason ing effect of theIair has been greatly increased.'

It is well known that air has a very low specific capacity for heat, andthat 1f water vapor is added thereto, the heat energy per cubic foot ofthe mixture of air and water y vaporv will be 4 greatly augmented by thelatent heat of the vapor. I preferably, therefore, provide the heatcollector or intensifier with means for supplying the heated air withwater vapor. As herein shown, I have provided a series of spray nozzles18, which vare located in the heat collector, and as the air passes overthe same, the evaporation of the water will charge the air with watervapor. In place of the spray nozzles, any other i t 'io *will be chargedwith a water vapor and preheated as it passes through the ducts of theheat collector or intensifier. The exhaust from the engine is led to thecondenser 8, which, asherein shown, comprises an outer casing 19, inwhich are located a plurality of 'Watertubes 20. The Water tubes 20 arepreferably provided with luted flanges to increase the surface ofcontact with the air. Thetubes 20 are also preferably coated with anabsorbent material 21.A The end 22 of the casing 19 is left open, andatthe other end of the casing is loca-teda fan 24 for causing acirculation of air through the condenser. The inner end of the casing 19has a'tube24,

through which air may be supplied. 'A res` ervoir 25 is connected'to apipe 26, which has a series of short pipes 2T leading to the inner sideof the casing 19. Through the reservoir 25 Water may be supplied to thecondenser, and through the evaporation of the Water the efficiency ofthe condenser is reatly increased. After the exhaust vapor rom thevengine has been condensed, it is fed back to the boiler or vaporizer bymeans of the puin 4. v

If desire with my heat -collector or intenser, any form'of condenser maybe used. While, on the other hand, with my air cooled condenser inconnection Withthe evaporation of Water, I may use air at atmospherictemperature in the vaporizer, and omit my heat collector,` I prefer touse the form of condenser above described, in connection with myimproved heat collector or intensifier, for I am thereby able to createa greater di'erence of temperature and pressure between the vaporizerand condenser,

and thus increase materially the eiciency of the engine.

I do not claim herein the method of conn` verting solar heat energy intomotive power,

,except as the method is inherent in the apparatus described and pointedout in the appended claims. The broad vmethod of heatinga liquid in avaporizer by solar heated air, which is superheated by being passed.through a solar heat collector, and expand-- ing said heating liquid ina condensing enine,l forms the subject of my ap lication, Aerial No.535,048, filedDecember 2 th, 1909. Having thus described myinvention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1..'I`he. combination of a vaporizer, of av .solar heat collectorconnected to said vaporizei', and means .for causing aii to circulatethrough the collector and vaporizer.

- The combination of a `va'poi'izer, fof a solar heat collectorconnectedjlto said vaporizer, means vfor causing air to` `circulatethrough the collector and vapori'zer, and means for supplying the air asit is heated with. water vapor. e t i 3. The combination of avaporizer,including tubes'in which a liquid may be vaporized, a casing surroundingsaid tubes,

a heatcollec-tor includinga casing having a covering ofheat-transmitting material, and

having a passage through which air may circulate and besolarlieated, apipe connect-ing said vaporizer casing with the heat collector, andmeans for causing the air to circulate through the heat collector andabout the tubes in the vapoiizer.

4. The combination of a vaporizer, including tubes in Vwhich a liquidmay be vaporized, a casing surrounding saidtubes, a heat collectorincluding a casing having a covering ofpheat-transmitting material andYhaving a passage through which air may circulate and be solar heated, apipe connecting said vaporizer casing with the heat collector, means forcausing Vthe vair to cir-"-r 6. The combination of a vaporizer, a solarheat collector including a covering of heat transmitting material, abottom portion having a non-heat conducting lining, a pipe connectingsaidy collector With the vaporizer,

means in said collector for supplying the -airv it is heated with watervapor and means for causing. the air to circulatel through the heatcollector andtlie vaporizer. Y

7. 'llie combination of a vaporizer, an engine, a condenser and a pumpconnected in a' cycle, of aheat collector provided with air ductsconnected to said vaporizer, and means for causing air to` circulatethrough said heat collector' and ,vaporizein 8. The combination of avaporizer, an

engine, a condenser, and a pump connected in a cycle, of a heatcollector provided with air ducts connected to said vaporizer, means forcausing air to circulate through said heat collector and vaporizer, andmeans for supplying water vapor to the .air as itis heated.

9. The combination of a vaporizer, including tubes 1u whlch a llquid maybe vaporized, a caslng extending about sald tubes, means for causlngsolar-heated airto ,circulate through said caslng and about said 'tubesto vaporize the liquid therein, an

engine, a condenser and apump connel'stedv in a cycle, a heat collectonspipe connecting said heat collector with said vaporizer, means forcausing air to lcirculte through said heat collector and said vaporizer,sind condenser including condensing pipes, means for supplying the outersurfaces of the said pipes with Water, and means for forcing air aroundsaid pipes for evaporating the water and cooling the condensin pipes.

l1. The combination o a vaporizer, an engine, a condenser and a pumpconnected in a. cycle, means for causing solar heated air to circulatethrough said vaporizer, said condenser including condensingpipes,meansfor supplying the outer surface of said pipes with water, and means forforcing air around said pipes for evaporatingsaid water and cooling thepipes-of the condenser.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature,

in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN H. MCHENRY.

Witnesses E. G. MAsois, C. L. STURTEVANT.

